Neolithic and Megalithic Cultures In Tamil Nadu

The culture of Tamil Nadu, following the Stone Ages, flowers suddenly into a well-developed full-fledged Iron Age without passing through the intermediary chalcolithic phase. As regards the Iron Age, mainly represented by the characteristic megalithic burial monuments, much work has been carried out by way of surface explorations and excavations of distinctive types. Even soothe habitations and material culture of the megalithic-folk have been eluding the archaeologist’s spade. Likewise some work, though sporadic, has been attempted to ascertain the immediately preceding Neolithic levels. Inspite of all this much more remains to be done, particularly with regard to finding the nuclear Neolithic region of Tamil Nadu, way of life, material culture, etc., of the Neolithic people. The present work of Dr. Narasimhaiah is an earnest attempt towards attaining this goal and is the outcome of a prolonged intensive (and extensive as well) surface exploration of prospective and productive regions in Tamil Nadu followed by a small scale confirmatory excavation of three sites, Dailmalai, Mullikadu and Togarappali in District dharmapuri. This maiden attempt of Narasimhaiah has given a new orientation to the Neolithic cultures of Tamil Nadu and the conclusions are revolutionary. Narasimhaiah has shown that in Tamil Nadu, there existed a pre-pottery Neolithic stage, when people were living on the hill tops of Districts Dharmapuri and North Arcot, with their pecked and ground stone axes and microliths of Late Stone Age affinity. Later in the Neolithic itself, two stages representing a red ware and grey ware using people have been identified; the former preceding the latter and ultimately giving way to the latter. Assessing the Megalithic culture the author has established the morphological, distributional and chronological sequence of several types of megaliths obtaining in Tamil Nadu; an important contribution by itself. Narasimhaiah fixes the beginning of the earliest Neolithic phase is Tamil Nadu towards the end of the third millennium B.C., while the chronology of megaliths range from the middle of the first millennium B.C., to the second century A.D., within which each type finds its own time span.